Don't go to sleep
by Poisoned-and-Touched
Summary: When closing your eyes leads to nightmares, agony, torture and wounds the seem not to heal, you get where you don't ever want to go to sleep.
1. Chapter 1

_Scream for me little girl. Scream so loud that you lovely little voice grows harsh and strained. I can't imagine a more intoxicating lullaby. _

She shook her head and pulled the unconscious ninja closer to her. Her eyes moved around the small cell, but nothing was clear. Her vision was blurred due to an unpredictable splash of something. Judging by the burning in her eyes and along the surface of her face, she would guess it was acid. That thick coppery taste coated the back of her throat, even though she was fairly certain that she was no longer bleeding. Her hand ran over the boy's blond hair in an attempt to comfort; she knew she wasn't comforting him. He was knocked out cold and could probably care less at the moment if she were to get up and leave. No. She was trying to comfort herself. Trying to lull herself into that false sense of security; driving back the urge of panic that attempted to set fire to her chest. Two of her fingers were broken. She could feel the horrifying rush of blood and could feel the grotesque swelling that lit through her disfigured digits. She began to rock slowly, cradling Naruto in her arms tight against her chest. They were in severe trouble. If he were to wake up, she could properly analyze the situation. But in his current condition he was causing her nothing but concern.

A black blur was all that moved in her vision. Her senses heightened as rage entered her chest. Against her better judgment she growled at the figure, hoping that it was whoever was holding them as captives.

"You will let us go!"

"You are a foolish, foolish child." The voice was masculine, strong but faint as if her were speaking to her from a rooms length away. It wasn't a voice she recognized. She could hear her own pulse beating in her ears, humming against her eardrums and vibrating her chest as she began to tremble. She clamped her useless eyes shut and forced her self to take deep calming breaths. She couldn't let panic get the best of her and she would not let fear win out over common sense. A smell brought her eyes open. She tried to blink back the haze, knowing that it was a futile effort. She knew that smell. It worked through her every day. That subtle smell of flowers.

"You're going to die. You just have to face it." A female voice rose out of the fog. Again it was something that wasn't familiar. Her stomach rumbled and a gag pulled at the back of her throat. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rip her eyes from her sockets, just to make them work. Without warning Naruto jolted against her. Suddenly his body was convulsing uncontrollably. She brought her hand up to steady his head as the seizure rode him. She almost let out a scream as something erupted from his mouth. In the dark she couldn't make out the color. A shudder ran over her as she tried to keep Naruto from busting his head open. She cringed and brought her face down, bringing her hand up. She hesitated before she took a deep breath in.

A metallic scent filled her sinuses and crept down the back of her throat. Her heart lurched forward as her mind went into over drive. She would have much rather had the smell of rancid vomit hit her than that. She pushed him gently off of her lap and set her ear down on his chest. Not only could she not catch whether or not he was breathing due to the seizure, but she also didn't hear a heart beat. She brought her face up next to his mouth waiting for that warm brush across her cheek, but it didn't come.

His body went limp and settled onto the dark cell floor.

"NARUTO!" She screamed and felt for his pulse. There wasn't even a faint rise in the vein. She quickly started pumping his chest. Tears streamed down her face, as she felt her way up to his face. She quickly tilted his chin back and began to force air into his lungs. Quickly she moved back and began pumping his chest.

"Dammit, Naruto! Wake up! Stay with me!" She screamed at his lifeless body as she moved back up to attempt to breath life back into him. She shook her head violently, and went back to his chest. She pulled all of the chakra she could muster and forced it into her hands. She flared her fingers out in and sent the chakra through him, arching his body off of the floor. No response. Her world began to crumble around her.

Sweat rolled down her body dampening the sheets as she thrashed about, flinging them away from her. With a painful gasp, her eyes flew open staring up at the slowly turning fan blades. Her chest heaved violently as she gripped the sheets, her hands cramping painfully from the strain. She gathered her bearings and forced herself to sit up. Those voices rang in her head, the scent of Naruto's blood lingered on her tongue yet the only thing that existed in reality was the tears that moistened her face. She clutched the front of her shirt as she closed her eyes. Nightmares were fine by her as long as she woke up from them. It was the realistic ones that truly bothered her. Those that created de ja vu experiences that could almost signal premonitions. She settled back onto the bed but frowned. She rolled over and snatched her pillow from the floor. With a huff she slapped it on the head of the mattress, beat it into submission and finally suffocated it with her head. She grumbled to herself as she turned over, curling into a fetal position and staring out of the window. The moon gleamed in mockingly as if it were tempting her to fade back to sleep. Just waiting for her to enter that deep level so that the nightmares could resume. Isn't that the way it always happened? The good dreams, those that left you aching for more, were completely impossible to reclaim. But those horrid awful nightmares, those were the ones that you would re-enter almost as soon as you closed your eyes. Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

Her mind milled and turned as she turned on the faucet. The dream had been so vivid, so random and frightening. She didn't know why Naruto was injured, who it was that had them, or what had gotten them in that situation to begin with. She shook her head absently.

Sakura let the water run over her hand waiting for the temperature to reach that place of between just right and scalding. She craved something a little more than that just right; something a little harsher that could perhaps strip her down to the subconscious and wash the evil dreams from her mind. She pulled her shoes from her feet as she sat down on the edge of the tub. Her thumbs needed the tender soles of her feet as she cursed her tender nature. BUt even as she pained she could feel herself growing stronger, more sound in her skills.

She would give both her big toes if she were able to take a training day without hurting, though. The aches, scrapes, bruises and breaks were all just another rung on the ladder to becoming a great medic ninja. She pulled her filth and sweat covered clothes off and cut the water off. She couldn't wait to submerge her body into that healing water. She stopped as she started to step in as a thought flashed through her mind. She pulled the towel from the hanger, wrapping it tight around her torso as she padded on bare feet back to her room. Her eyes scanned her table until they landed on the herbs and salts she was looking for. She grabbed up the bottles, hugging them to her chest in an attempt to hold both the containers and her towel as she made her way awkwardly back to the bathroom.

The steam tickled her exposed flesh, almost instantly alleviating a portion of the pain. She dropped the towel and quickly added her choice minerals to the steaming water. Her foot swirled in the water for a moment, urging the minerals to dissolve quicker, before she sunk down. She closed her eyes and smiled.

_Sakura soup._ A snorting laugh escaped her as she realized that Naruto's way of thinking may just be wearing off on her after all. A deep breath escape her, seemingly sinking her further in her medicinal broth.

The hot water lapped at the nape of her neck as she allowed her senses to be bombarded by the delicious scents and steam. She sunk further down as her aching body relaxed bit by bit, muscle by muscle until she was completely limp. Her eye lids slowly began to close as she enjoyed the momentary pleasures that the bath provided. Her breathing deepened as her eyes finally closed. Darkness consumed her vision as she drifted off into the primordial sense of weightlessness.

Clouds appeared in her line of sight as she entered her dream-scape. Fluffy balls of cotton floated lazily across the sky over head. She could hear the delightful sound of children laughing and playing in the distance. She pushed herself up from the bed of grass and sat looking out in wonder at the beautiful park she was in.

"You're awake." She turned to see the darker headed member of her team as his shadow fell over her. Sakura grinned up at him and nodded. "Good. I have something to show you." His voice was coarse choppy and borderline sadistic, not much different from normal. She pushed her self up and looked at him. His dark eyes danced over her and a small smirk pulled at one corner of his mouth. She frowned as he took a few steps toward her. Paralysis took her over as he brought his hand up towards her. Her feet cemented to the ground as her body refused to move. Her mind wouldn't rationalize his near contact while her heart attempted to leap from her throat. His hand brushed against her ear before he brought it back away from her, holding a sprig of grass.

She blushed madly at the ideas swimming through her head as he sent the grass back down it its family. He turned and began walking, assuming that she would follow like the obedient puppet she was. As if pulled by invisible strings she followed as he led her into the tree line of the park. Twisting and turning she followed the young ninja through the tangle of trees. She frowned as he started moving quicker and before she had time to realize it she was sprinting just to keep him in sight.

She rounded that last blind curve only to skid to a stop staring at a large cement wall. She tilted her head backwards her eyes running up the length of the wall looking for an end. She looked to either side only to realize that the lush beauty of the forest park was gone. A barren waste land of nothingness spread out in all directions away from the wall. Her heart sunk as a hot wind rolled over her face.

_Are you frightened yet, cherry blossom? Do you feel that rush of adrenaline in your chest? I can and it taste so good._

She reached for her kunai but her hand found only the fabric of her clothes. She looked around to locate the owner of the sickening voice, but there was nothing around her. Except the wall. She threw her self around and glared up at the large wall.

"Show yourself!"She screamed in the most imposing voice she could muster. Nothing but silence answered her demand. Her heart quivered in her chest as that hot nowhere wind rolled over her once again. Without warning three other endless walls sprung up from the ground, boxing her in with only the light from the free ceiling shining in on her. She slammed her fist against the wall only to have the pain recoil through her.

"Fuck!" Sakura cursed clutching her hand. Her eyes turned skyward as her mind held together enough to rationalize a plan. She lowered herself to the ground and launched herself against the wall only to vault off of the wall to the next. She leapt from wall to wall, until her legs began to burn as the muscles protested the strenuous reoccurring activity. She looked up seeing the end only a few meters further. A rush of relief flowed through her as she vaulted towards that signal of freedom. S scream escaped her mouth as a block fell from the opening blocking her exit. She dropped from the wall falling painfully to the ground landing on her leg with a snap. She looked up as fear exploded through her. The ceiling had not stopped it was still falling towards her, closing in on where she sat meaning to crush her. She covered her head and tried to keep the tears from leaving her eyes. She could hear the roaring grind as the ceiling ground against the walls, growing closer and closer to her demise.

She shot up from the water, tearing herself away from the nightmare only seconds before she was crushed. She coughed and sputtered as the water rushed down from her hair. A gag tore from her as she tried to force the water from her lungs. A trembling hand came up to brush the water from her face as she shook. Her face was hot from the water but also chilled from fear. She sat forward and began to get out of the water, but as soon as she put weight on her wrist and her leg, pain ricocheted through her. With a crying scream she felt back into the water, splashing over half of the contents out of the ceramic container.

Panic and hysterics began to fill her as she looked at her wrist then down to her ankle. She slowly attempted to turn her foot, realizing when she couldn't turn it more than just a slight twitch that her ankle was broken. Her arms began trembling uncontrollably as her mind began throwing pieces out at her that didn't make sense. How was it possible that her nightmare had caused her to break her ankle? She closed her eyes and took several deep calming breaths as she tried to regain control of herself. Her mind began to quiet down as the trembling in her hands began to slow. She rationalized with herself against the panicky side of her.

**I must have pushed myself to hard during training.**

Then why didn't I feel it before?

**Sometimes serious injuries take a while to become known.**

Then explain the sprained wrists?

**Same thing. I trained too hard.**

What did I do with my wrist?

…**I don't know. **

Sakura carefully pushed herself with her uninjured limbs up to stand. Quickly she managed to get out of the bathtub and wrap herself in the warmth of a towel. She was going to have a serious chat with her sensei about what was happening to her. Her body screamed at her that she needed to rest, but how would she be able to? She limbed to her room, using the wall to support herself. She flung herself on her bed and stared once again up at the slowly circling fan blades. Maybe she was just stressed.


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura grumbled and rubbed the ointment into her ankle. Her wrist wasn't as sore as it had been but her ankle was giving her a large amount of grief. Her sensei hadn't quelled her concern but he had made it more logical. Not her fear but, rather, the injury. He told her that it was most likely her thrashing about that caused her to hit her arm and leg, not the actual dream that caused it.

"Probably nothing to worry about." Kakashi-sensei had said, his head cocked to the side and his eye closed to show he was smiling. He could be so irritating at times, especially when he actually made sense. It wasn't that he was trying to minimize her problem, just bring a little more logic to the situation. Twisted ankle or not, she still had to train; which most likely accounted for the amount of pain that surged through her leg.

Sakura snorted and looked out her window as the curtain billowed in the wind. She had opened it in hopes that the wind would dilute the thick medicinal smell that seeped from the ointment. Jolting around in the bath tub could have been the cause of the injury and most likely was. She hated that that actually made sense. She had come to the conclusion that she was just being paranoid and childish. A deep breath filled her lungs as she let the cool night air envelope her; ignoring that occasional hard whiff of medicine. She needed a night of undisturbed sleep, pure and deep, for her to heal the way she needed. She settled back on the bed and propped her leg up on the pillow; recounting different portions of the day. Naruto had been extremely concerned when he first set eyes on her.

"Did someone hurt you?"

"No, I just twisted it."

"If someone hurt you I'll kill them." She smiled as she remembered the look on his face. He was protective of her, she would give him that.

Sasuke was unconcerned which bothered her immensely. They were after all a team and she always worried about his well-being. Her nose curled up as her mind slipped over to the negative side. With a snort she cast Sasuke from her mind, deciding that she would much rather think of something positive. Naruto had offered her his ramen on their break. That told her just how concerned he was. Of course he didn't offer her all of it; just a bite. That was inconsequential though. It was after all the thought that counted. He may have been an obstinate nit-whit but he did have a heart, perhaps too much of one at times. He put everything he had into everything he did. He might joke, act stupid and goof about, that was just the way he was and it didn't mean that he wasn't full in the mission. One thing she knew she could always count on, was that he would greet her at the training grounds with a smile.

With that image in her head she closed her eyes. She had always heard that the last thing you think of is what you dream of. Honestly, in comparison to her previous nights' dreams, she wouldn't mind dreaming about the blonde headed dolt. As her breathing deepened and her body relaxed into the sheets, she drifted into the liquid void. That slight resistance between weightlessness and gravity.

Blank, dark, enveloping blackness surrounded her for the most part of her slumber. Neither thought nor dream penetrating the level of REM. But that couldn't be expected to continue especially once the mind began drifting away from such a deep sleep. That little bit of consciousness allowed her dreamscape to burst through yet oddly enough the darkness remained. She frowned into the darkness knowing that she was dreaming and waiting for the pictures to be painted across her vision. A caressing sensation began moving up her leg, causing her to shy from the touch. She strained against the night to see just what was touching her ever so slightly.

From the dark a figure grew closer as it moved up her body. A gleam of blue eyes appeared. A few moments past before she recognized the whiskered imp. A flush spread across her face as the look of lust in his eyes was enough to set her on fire. Her heart pounded audibly in her chest as he drew closer, his lips caressing hers lightly. His hands found her neck as he pulled her closer letting the intoxicatingly intimate moment drive her to return his passion. She closed her eyes as they shared a moment she knew would never happen in life. His thumbs gently stroked either side of her face before he broke from her. She protested the separation but she was pleasantly surprised when he moved to her neck. His mouth worked smoothly over that tender tissue; his teeth exposed just enough to nip her teasingly. She let her eyes stare off into the blackness as he continued his loving assault on the opposite side of her neck. His hands moved around to her back, pulling her closer to him. As his hands slide over her shoulder blades she realized that something was wrong. His fingers gripped her shoulders as his arms tensed.

"Naruto, you're hurting me!" She gasped as his fingers dug into her skin. She tried to push away but it was a futile attempt. She let out a scream as he clamped his teeth down on her neck, sinking them far past the point of pain. She pushed his head back, his teeth tearing the skin as she arched her knee up. She didn't expect it to work but he doubled over anyway. The darkness that surrounded them bled away revealing her bedroom. He looked up at her his eyes crimson and a snarl across his face as her blood dripped sickeningly from his chin. She frowned and kicked him back, doubling her fists ready to pummel him senseless. It may have been her dream but even then he should have the decency to know better. A growling scream of a roar escaped his mouth as he lunged at her. She spun around sending him across her dream room with a hard kick to the jaw. She screamed out as the impact rattled her ankle. She stumbled back on the bed, half way catching herself with the head board.

_What is the matter, lovely? I was sure that you wanted a dominate mate._

Sakura's eyes widened substantially as Naruto made for her again. She ducked him and managed to get off of the bed. She looked around in an attempt to find the voice that was haunting her, taunting her in every nightmare she had.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed into the room as Naruto foamed at the mouth, growing ever closer to her. She balled her fists and readied herself to attack him but just as he moved to maul her again the world melted to black. She took a step back as the darkness enveloped her. Her fingers met fabric sending a jolt of fear through her. She whirled around and stared up at the dark singular eye of her sensei. Something was wrong. Malevolence was coating him, coaxing his skin darker, his glare more malicious than she could have ever imagined. Before she could throw herself back his hands gripped her shoulders; a dark laugh filling the void around them.

_Perhaps this is more to your liking, poppet._

She jerked backwards but only received a pulsating pain through her arms as Kakashi pulled her closer; refusing to loosen the grip he had on her. Tears began to stream freely down her face. She quickly jumped landing her feet hard against her teacher's chest, sending him away from her. Her body hit the ground and she looked up but her sensei stumbled back into the darkness and freeze.

Tendrils of inky nothingness curled around Kakashi, bending and breaking him as he was sucked back into the dark. Sakura sat up on her knees and buried her face in her hands. It was all a horrible nightmare. She was stuck in her own mind and had to think of some way to force herself awake before another of her many male acquaintances made an appearance.

She began to tremble as rage began to consume her. She crossed her arms over her stomach as she began to rock, containing the anger inside of her so that she could think. Her fingernails began to dig into her arms as she began to loose her temper. The laughter rang again echoing in the nothingness.

_Those tears are so very succulent. Let that rage escape, little girl. Let that unbridled anger consume you and sustain me._

Sakura shook her head violently. She forced her eyes open as she stared up at those milling fan blades. She hated those things. They had become a recurring midnight image that tied in closely with her insane nightmares.. She pushed herself up in the bed and wiped the sweat from her brow. She was freezing yet her skin was alight with fever. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and made to stand, testing her injured ankle before putting weight on it.

She hobbled to the bathroom and blinked back the blinding light as she quickly turned the faucet on. She let the water run over her hand as it filled the sink. She killed the flow and dunked the closest wash cloth into the icy water. After saturating the rag she wrung it out, before washing her face. She sighed and dropped the rag into the sink and looked up to the mirror over it. Her face blanched as she stared at the undeniable puncture marks on her neck.

Her hand shook as it rose to her neck, her fingers tracing over the tender wounds. There wasn't fresh blood and the punctures didn't seem to be willing to bleed. Her head swam and she stumbled back, catching herself on the wall. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath letting out her panic in a ragged breath. She looked down to her arm and quickly pulled up the sleeve of her gown. She didn't want to see what she thought she was going to see, but she did. Bruises in the shape of fingers curved around her arm. Her legs grew unsteady so she let herself slide down the wall. How would her sensei justify these wounds? She couldn't have just thrashed about this time…

_You can't escape me that easily. You'll be mine the next time you close your eyes and every time after._


End file.
